Abril Lamarque Collection
Scope and Contents
Dates
- 1908 - 1987
Creator
- Lamarque, Abril, 1904-1999. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, Oklahoma State University Archives will provide information about copyright owners and related information. Securing permission to publish or use material is the responsibility of the researcher. Note that unless specifically transferred to Oklahoma State University Libraries, any applicable copyrights may be held by another individual or entity. Copyright for material published by Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College/Oklahoma State University is held by the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges. All rights reserved.
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Finding aid © 2018 Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges. All rights reserved.
Biographical Sketch
Eduardo Abril Lamarque changed many faces in during his lifetime and career. First, he shrugged off the first name Eduardo to avoid any confusion between him and his uncle, also named Eduardo, who was also in the publishing and newspaper business. Lamarque’s specialty lay in editorial layout, specifically magazine layout, although he pursued many different areas within the world of print. Abril Lamarque started his career as a cartoonist and illustrator. Later, he created the first Spanish-language comic strip that was not merely a translation from English. This strip ran daily in newspapers throughout Latin America. Lamarque used his artistic and illustrative abilities to launch himself into art direction and advertisement design.
At 23, Lamarque found himself hired as the first art director for the Dell Publishing magazine empire for which he oversaw artists, staged photos, and drew most of the illustrations in more than 20 magazines. Lamarque became the first Sunday art director of The New York Times under Pulitzer Prize winner Lester Markel, editor of the Times from 1923 to 1965. He restyled the Times Magazine out of its tabloid format and into a more appropriate magazine format. While on with the Times he restyled The New York Times Book Review before leaving in 1946 to design The World Report (later merged with U.S. News). Lamarque established a graphic arts studio in New York in 1948 from which he offered various design and publication services for large corporations such as Bacardi and Metropolitan Life among others.
Besides his design work, Lamarque became a widely employed lecturer in his self-designed Editorial Layout Workshops. He started his workshops under the New York University School of Continuing Education. Each workshop attempted to improve or teach magazine layout and the use of typography in publication design. Some companies, like The Sporting News, employed his services more than once for their editors outside of the personal help he gave their publication.
Lamarque practiced as an amateur magician, and he received requests for help in this area from his editor and friend Max Batchelder when they were not discussing design or editorial issues. Lamarque belonged to the Dutch Treat Club, was a Life Member of the Society of Illustrators and also of the Art Directors Club in New York. He worked closely and personally with Lester Markel and did not hesitate to challenge the current layout or direction of the New York Times Magazine under Markel. Lamarque’s notes and layout principles are as broad as his handlebar mustache. He covered all the basics and knew all the details of typography and layout and outlined them in the notes for his Editorial Layout Workshops.
Extent
18.62 Linear feet (6 record storage boxes, 5 letter size document boxes, 17 phase boxes, 1 flat box)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Location
Processing Information
Updated by Tawny Taylor, September 2010.
Creator
- Lamarque, Abril, 1904-1999. (Person)
- Title
- Abril Lamarque Collection Collection Number 1999-026
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Evan Rogers
- Date
- July 2002
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Oklahoma State University Archives Repository
204 Edmon Low Library
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater 74078-1071 USA
libscua@okstate.edu